Corn-planter.



, Patented Jan. 29, [90L .8. R. E SSIG. CORN PLANTEB.

med Aug. 11, 1900.

(Application 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

a m VI A3 J/WQMAXOW: m 63.12981. a %1 6 No. 666,896. Patented Ian. 29,I90l..

B. R. ESSIG..

CORN PLANTER.

(Application filed Aug. 11, 1900.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheeta8haet 3.

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Uwrrnn TATES RALPH R. ESSIG, OF CANTON, OHIO.

CORN=PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 666,896, dated January29, 1901. Application filed August 11, 1900. Serial No. 26,662. (Nomodel.)

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RALPH R. ESSIG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Canton, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making part of this specification, and t0 the figures of referencemarked thereon, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is anend view. Fig. 3 is a View showing the upper end of one of thefurrow-blade links and illustrating a portion of its lifting mechanism.Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the forward portion of one of thecorn-coverin g wheel-carrying arms, showing the spring properly locatedthereon. Fig. 5 is a top view showing one end of the planter proper.Fig. 6 is a transverse section of one of the grain-tubes, showing itsvalve and trip mechanism. Fig. 7 is a transverse section of the frame,showing the mechanism for moving the coveringwheels forward to receivethe weight of the planter proper.

The present invention has relation to cornplanters designed andcalculated to check the hills automatically without the use of acheckwire or its equivalent; and it consists in the novel arrangementhereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawlugs.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 represents the end members of the frame,and 2 the side members, said side members being connected together inany convenient and well-known manner, and when properly connectedtogether said members constitute a rectangular structure. To the endmembers 1 are connected suitable bearings, such as 3, said bearingsbeing for the purpose of holding in proper relative position the axle 4.I

It will be understood that if desired the end members may be formed of asize suficient to form the axle-bearings in said members, it being onlya question of judgment as to whether the bearings are formed separateand connected to the end members or formed in said end members.

with the axle 4: at all times.

To the axle 4 are securely connected the traveling wheels 5, saidtraveling wheels being located and arranged substantially as shown inFig. 1, and as shown they are located outside of the end members 1.

For the purpose of bracing the frame and at the same time providing ameans for attaching the different parts of the planter the cross-bars 6are provided, which cross-bars are located substantially as shown; butthey may be difierently located without departing from the nature of myinvention.

To the front or forward portion of the frame proper are connected thebars 7, said bars being for the purpose of providing a means forpivotally connecting the forward and upper ends of the furrow blades orshoes 8, said furrow blades or shoes being located and arrangedsubstantially as shown and extend downward and rearward, their lowerends being provided with the grain-tubes 9, which grain-tubes extendupward and are for the purpose of guiding the grain to the place ofdeposit.

To the frame of the planter proper are connected the grain-boxes 10, bymeans of suitable bars 11 or their equivalents.

At the bottom or lower ends of the grainboxes 10 are located therotating disks 12, said disks being of ordinary construction and form noparticular partof the present invention within themselves, except thatrotating disks must necessarily be employed to properly convey thegrains of corn from the grainboxes 10 to the grain-tubes 9.

Upon the axles 4.- are loosely mounted the gear-wheels 13, whichgear-Wheels mesh with the gear-wheels 14, said gear-wheels l4 being forthe purpose of communicating rotary motion to the disks 12. Thegear-wheels 13 are provided with the flanges 15, which flanges areprovided with inclined teeth 16, said inclined teeth being for thepurpose of engaging the inclined teeth 17, formed upon the faces of thesliding collars 18, which sliding collars are so connected that theywill rotate When it is desired to communicate rotary motion to the disks12, the sliding collars 18 are brought into such a position that theteeth 16 and 17 will engage each other, thereby imparting a rotarymotion to the disks 12 by means of the gear-wheels 13 and 14, saidsliding collars being moved back and forth by means of ordinaryyoke-levers 19, said yoke-levers being connected in the usual manner foroperating interlacing clutches.

To the brace-bars 6 or their equivalents are connected the toothedsegments 20, which toothed segments are for the purpose of holding thelevers 21 in proper adjustment by means of the sliding bars 22, whichsliding bars are carried by the levers 21 and are operated by means ofthe ordinary L-shaped levers 23. For the purpose of normally holding thesliding bars 22 in proper engagement with the toothed segments 20 thesprings 24 are provided and are located and arranged in the usualmanner.

The levers 21 are securely connected to the rock-shafts 25, said leversbeing extended downward below said rock-shafts, as illustrated in thedrawings, and their bottom or lower ends pivotally connected to the bars26.

To the sides of the bars 6 are located the arms 27, said arms beingsubstantiallyof the form shown, and, as shown, they extend laterally andrearwardly to the outer sides of the conveying-wheels 28. To the lateralportion of the arms 27 are connected the rearwardly-extending arms 29,said rearwardlyextending arms being located upon the inner sides of thecovering-wheels 28.

Between the arms 27 and 29 are located the yokes 30, which yokes arepivotally connected at their upper ends to bars 31, said bars beinglocated a short distance back of the main axle 4. The covering-wheels 28are mounted upon the axles 32, to which axles 32 the arms 27 and 29 andthe yokes 30 are connected, thereby forming a common connecting-pointfor the arms 27 29 and the yokes 30, said arrangement being for thepurpose hereinafter described.

To the rock-shafts 25 are securely connected the short arms 33, and tosaid short arms 33 are pivotally connected the links 34, to which linksare pivotally connected the lifting-bars 35, the bottoms or lower endsof said lifting-bars being pivotally connected to the grain-tubes 9,preferably at their upper forward ends.

From the grain-boxes 10 and below the disks 12 extend the flexible tubes36, which flexible tubes are extended into the grain-tubes 9 and are forthe usual purpose of conducting the grain from the grain boxes proper tothe grain-tubes 9. For the purpose of lifting the grain-tubes 9 by meansof the levers 21, when said levers are moved backward, the pins or studs37 are provided and are so located that they will strike against theunder sides of the short arms 33, thereby preventing the links 34 fromturning downward as the free ends of the short arms are moved upward.This peculiar arrangement is also for the purpose of allowing a limitedup-and-down movement of the furrow-blades 8 and the grain-tubes 9independent of the lovers 21, as it will be understood that a limitedfree independent movement of the links 34 will be permitted independentof the short arms 33that is to say, said links are free to move upward ashort distance when the furrow-blades strike any obstructionthisarrangement being for the purpose of allowing a yielding connectionbetween the furrow-blades and grain-tubes and the machine proper tocompensate for any irregularities that may be upon the surface of theground over which the machine travels and at the same time providing ameans-for the shoes and grain-tubes to ride over small stones.

The grain-tubes 9 are each provided with the valves 38, (see Fig. 6,)which valves are held in a closed position by means of the springs 39,said springs being-connected in such a manner that they will normallyhold the valves 38 in a closed position. To the valves 38 are attachedor formed integral therewith the arms 40, which arms extend laterallyand are for the purpose hereinafter described.

To the traveling wheels 5 are connected the marker-shoes 41, whichmarker-shoes are for the purpose of determining the location of thehills of grain in the rows.

The marker-shoes 41 are each provided with the arms 42, to which armsare pivotally connected the valve trip-bars 43, said valve trip-barsbeing so connected and located that they will strike the valve-arms 40as the traveling wheels 5 rotate, thus opening the valve 38 and allowingthe grain to drop to the place of deposit, the springs 39 being for thepurpose of automatically closing the valve 38 after the trip-bars 43have passed the valvearms 40. It will be understood that the valvetrip-bars should be so adjusted and connected that they will be securelyheld in a lateral position during the time the planter proper is movedforward; but when the traveling wheels are moved backward the tripbarsshould be free to turn upon their hinge connection as they pass thevalve-arms 40 and be brought back by the springs 40.

In locating the marker-shoes upon the traveling wheels 5 they should beso located that the distance between the marker-shoes will be the sameas the distance between the graintubes 9that is to say, if thegrain-tubes 9 are two feet apart the marker-shoes 41 should be two feetapart, the distance between the marker-shoes being taken upon theperiphcries of the traveling wheels 5, this arrangement being for thepurpose of properly spacing the rows in each direction.

In use thecorn-planter proper in planting the first two rows is movedover the ground, and after the first two rows are planted the machine isturned around and properly set for the return trip, and for the purposeof placing the machine the properdistance from the first two rowsplanted the two markerarms 44 are provided, the outer ends of which areeach provided with the marker-shoes 45,

said marker-shoes being so adjusted that they will indicate the properdistance of the machine to travel from the first two rows. Themarker-arms 44 are pivotally connected to the frame proper or to therear member 2 of the frame and are each provided with the right-angledarms 46, to which right-angled arms are pivotally connected theconnectingbar 47, and to said connecting-bar 47 is pivotally connectedthe shifting lever 48, said shifting lever being pivotally connected atits bottom or lower end to the rear bar 2 or its equivalent. For thepurpose of bringing the marker-shoes 45 so as to bring one of said shoesinto proper operative position the shoes should be shifted by means oftheir connecting-rods-that is to say, the shoe that was down should bemoved or thrown up and the shoe that was up should be lowered, so as tocome in proper contact with the ground at each turn of the planter forreturn trips.

For the purpose of properly starting the planter at the ends of the rowsthe markershoe 41 should be brought directly opposite or in line withthe marks made by the return trip of the machine, and in order to dothis properly the weight of the machine should be lifted from thetraveling wheels, so that said traveling wheels are free to be rotateduntil the marker-shoes are brought into the proper position, after whichthe traveling wheels are permitted to carry the frame. In order toremove the weight of the planter proper from the traveling wheels, thelevers 21 are moved backward at their upper ends, which in turn bringsthe coveringwheels 28 forward and elevates the frame, together with itsdifferent parts, so that the traveling wheels are free to be rotated.that as the levers 21 are moved backward at their upper ends their lowerends will be moved forward, carrying with them the bars 26, 27, and 28and the yokes 30, and by means of the yokes 30 the frame of the planterproper will be elevated. It will also be understood that at the sametime the levers 21 are moved backward the furrow-blades and grain-tubeswill be elevated by reason of the short arms 33, the links 34, and theconnecting-bars 35.

1n the drawings 1 have shown two levers 21 and two rock-bars 25, thisconstruction being shown for the purpose of providing a means of liftingone end of the planter at one time; but should it be desired to providea means for lifting the entire frame at a given time the rock-bars 25may be dispensed with and a single bar extended through the frame and asingle lever connected thereto, this construction being practically thesame in principle as that illustrated.

After the traveling wheels 5 have been properly adjusted with referenceto their marker-shoes the machine is properly set for a return trip, itbeing understood that the proper marker-arm 44 and the marker-shoe Itwill be understood 45 are to be placed in operative position and thelevers 21 moved forward at their upper ends to allow the machine properto travel upon the wheels 5.

It will be understood that by locating the arms 26 and 27 side by sideand separately connecting them together by means of the collars 49 andlocating the interposed spring 50 between said collars a yieldingconnection will be given to the covering-wheels 28.

It will be understood that the device for tripping the valve containedin the graintube may be varied without departing from the nature of myinvention, as the only object designed to be accomplished is to operatethe valves by the rotation of the traveling wheels and axle, as it willbe understood that the axle must rotate with the traveling wheels inorder that the valves may be operated at the same time.

The marker-shoes 41 are to be so connected I that they will properlymark the places where grain is deposited and the exact manner ofconnecting said markers to the Wheels is immaterial.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of a frame, an axle journaled thereto and providedwith traveling wheels fixed to the axle, said traveling wheels providedwith marker-shoes located upon the peripheries of the traveling wheels,graintubes provided with valves and means for operating the valves,furrow-blades located in front of the grain-tubes and means forelevating the grain-tubes and furrow-blades, yokes pivoted at theirupper ends and provided with covering-Wheels, rods or bars yieldinglyconnected together their rear ends connected to the yokes carrying thetraveling wheels, and a lever pivotally connected to the forward ends ofthe yielding bars, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of a frame, grain-boxes carried by the frame andprovided with dropper-disks, means for rotating the dropperdisks, atoothed segment fixed to the frame, a lever fixed to a rock-shaft, arock-arm fixed to the rock-shaft and provided with a pivoted link, meansfor limiting the downward movement of the pivoted link, a connecting-barpivoted to the link, said connecting-bar yieldingly connected to an arm,said arm connected to the axle of the covering-wheel, an arm fixed tothe arm connected to the axle of the covering-wheel and a yoke locatedbetween the arms and attached to the axle of the covering wheel, saidyoke connected at a fixed point at its upper end, and a covering-wheel,and means for moving the covering-wheel forward independent of theforward movement of the frame, substantially as and for the purposespecified.

3. The combination of a frame,an axle journaled thereto and travelingwheels fixed to the axle, furrow-blades connected to the frame,grain-tubes provided with valves, means for operating the valves,covering-wheels located in the path of the furrow-blades, yokesconnected to the axles of the covering-Wheels and pivoted at their upperends at a fixed point, bars connected to the axle of the coveringwheels,a lever or levers fixed to a rock shaft or shafts, said rock shaft orshafts provided with arms, links pivotally connected to the rock-armsand yielding connecting-bars pivoted to the links carried by therock-arms all arranged, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The combination of a frame, grain-boxes carried by the frame andprovided with dropper-disks, means for rotating the dropperdisks, atoothed segment fixed to the frame, a lever fixed to a rock-shaft, arock-arm fixed to the rock-shaft and provided with a pivoted link, meansfor limiting the downward movement of the pivoted link, a connecting-barpivoted to the link, said connecting-bar yieldingly connected to an arm,said arm connected to the axle of a covering-wheel, an arm fixed to thearm connected to the axle of the covering-wheel and a yoke connectedbetween the arms and to the axle of a covering-Wheel, said yokeconnected at its upper end to the frame and a covering-Wheel,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two Witnesses.

RALPH R. ESSIG.

Witnesses:

F. W. BOND,- J. R. BOND.

